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Electrochemical techniques have shown advantages for the removal of low-concentration nitrate. Here, copper oxide nanosheets were grown on self-supporting nickel foam (NF) to prepare electrodes (CuO/NF), which realized the rapid and highly selective conversion of nitrate pollutants in sewage into nontoxic and harmless N2. The CuO/NF afforded 100% NO3– removal within 100 min and 99.53% selectivity for N2 at –50 mA without producing a lot of by-products (NO2–, NH4+, and N2H4). Furthermore, 81.8% of NO3– was removed under the given conditions after six experimental repetitions. These results suggest that the catalyst has excellent electrochemical stability. The performance of CuO/NF for the electrocatalytic removal of NO3– in simulated wastewater (which contained Cl– and SO42–) was almost unaffected. Because of the high efficiency, high stability, and low cost of CuO/NF, this catalyst is practical for the removal of nitrate for wastewater purification.

Electrochemical techniques have shown advantages for the removal of low-concentration nitrate. Here, copper oxide nanosheets were grown on self-supporting nickel foam (NF) to prepare electrodes (CuO/NF), which realized the rapid and highly selective conversion of nitrate pollutants in sewage into nontoxic and harmless N2. The CuO/NF afforded 100% NO3– removal within 100 min and 99.53% selectivity for N2 at –50 mA without producing a lot of by-products (NO2–, NH4+, and N2H4). Furthermore, 81.8% of NO3– was removed under the given conditions after six experimental repetitions. These results suggest that the catalyst has excellent electrochemical stability. The performance of CuO/NF for the electrocatalytic removal of NO3– in simulated wastewater (which contained Cl– and SO42–) was almost unaffected. Because of the high efficiency, high stability, and low cost of CuO/NF, this catalyst is practical for the removal of nitrate for wastewater purification.

Electrochemical techniques have shown advantages for the removal of low-concentration nitrate. Here, copper oxide nanosheets were grown on self-supporting nickel foam (NF) to prepare electrodes (CuO/NF), which realized the rapid and highly selective conversion of nitrate pollutants in sewage into nontoxic and harmless N2. The CuO/NF afforded 100% NO3– removal within 100 min and 99.53% selectivity for N2 at –50 mA without producing a lot of by-products (NO2–, NH4+, and N2H4). Furthermore, 81.8% of NO3– was removed under the given conditions after six experimental repetitions. These results suggest that the catalyst has excellent electrochemical stability. The performance of CuO/NF for the electrocatalytic removal of NO3– in simulated wastewater (which contained Cl– and SO42–) was almost unaffected. Because of the high efficiency, high stability, and low cost of CuO/NF, this catalyst is practical for the removal of nitrate for wastewater purification.

Peroxymonosulfate (PMS) driven by halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) modified with nanomanganese cobaltate (MnCo2O4) generates reactive oxygen species (ROS) that offer high degradation efficiency and mineralization rates for many typical antibiotic pollutants, such as ornidazole (ONZ). The experimental results show that halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) modified with nanomanganese cobaltate (MnCo2O4@HNTs denoted as MCO@HNTs) can degrade ONZ completely over a wide pH range (6.08–11.00) with little influence of the pH value. MCO@HNTs + PMS exhibited higher catalytic activity and lower Co- and Mn-ion leaching rates. It also showed a strong anti-interference effect on natural lake water and anions. Additionally, PMS can be quickly activated and consumed in natural lakes to avoid secondary pollution. The roasting of MCO@HNTs showed good catalytic activity and stability after degrading ONZ. The combination of ion quenching and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) analysis illustrated that the MCO@HNTs + PMS system had a strong oxidation capacity, and the produced singlet oxygen (1O2) was the main ROS for ONZ degradation. The degradation pathway of ONZ via the MCO@HNTs + PMS system was proposed based on the types of intermediates determined via liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). This comprehensive study shows the preparation of a simple, environmentally friendly, and cheap PMS activation catalyst that has practical application value in the treatment of antibiotic wastewater and provides a focus on actual water testing with residual amount of PMS.

Peroxymonosulfate (PMS) driven by halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) modified with nanomanganese cobaltate (MnCo2O4) generates reactive oxygen species (ROS) that offer high degradation efficiency and mineralization rates for many typical antibiotic pollutants, such as ornidazole (ONZ). The experimental results show that halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) modified with nanomanganese cobaltate (MnCo2O4@HNTs denoted as MCO@HNTs) can degrade ONZ completely over a wide pH range (6.08–11.00) with little influence of the pH value. MCO@HNTs + PMS exhibited higher catalytic activity and lower Co- and Mn-ion leaching rates. It also showed a strong anti-interference effect on natural lake water and anions. Additionally, PMS can be quickly activated and consumed in natural lakes to avoid secondary pollution. The roasting of MCO@HNTs showed good catalytic activity and stability after degrading ONZ. The combination of ion quenching and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) analysis illustrated that the MCO@HNTs + PMS system had a strong oxidation capacity, and the produced singlet oxygen (1O2) was the main ROS for ONZ degradation. The degradation pathway of ONZ via the MCO@HNTs + PMS system was proposed based on the types of intermediates determined via liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). This comprehensive study shows the preparation of a simple, environmentally friendly, and cheap PMS activation catalyst that has practical application value in the treatment of antibiotic wastewater and provides a focus on actual water testing with residual amount of PMS.

Peroxymonosulfate (PMS) driven by halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) modified with nanomanganese cobaltate (MnCo2O4) generates reactive oxygen species (ROS) that offer high degradation efficiency and mineralization rates for many typical antibiotic pollutants, such as ornidazole (ONZ). The experimental results show that halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) modified with nanomanganese cobaltate (MnCo2O4@HNTs denoted as MCO@HNTs) can degrade ONZ completely over a wide pH range (6.08–11.00) with little influence of the pH value. MCO@HNTs + PMS exhibited higher catalytic activity and lower Co- and Mn-ion leaching rates. It also showed a strong anti-interference effect on natural lake water and anions. Additionally, PMS can be quickly activated and consumed in natural lakes to avoid secondary pollution. The roasting of MCO@HNTs showed good catalytic activity and stability after degrading ONZ. The combination of ion quenching and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) analysis illustrated that the MCO@HNTs + PMS system had a strong oxidation capacity, and the produced singlet oxygen (1O2) was the main ROS for ONZ degradation. The degradation pathway of ONZ via the MCO@HNTs + PMS system was proposed based on the types of intermediates determined via liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). This comprehensive study shows the preparation of a simple, environmentally friendly, and cheap PMS activation catalyst that has practical application value in the treatment of antibiotic wastewater and provides a focus on actual water testing with residual amount of PMS.

Peroxymonosulfate (PMS) driven by halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) modified with nanomanganese cobaltate (MnCo2O4) generates reactive oxygen species (ROS) that offer high degradation efficiency and mineralization rates for many typical antibiotic pollutants, such as ornidazole (ONZ). The experimental results show that halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) modified with nanomanganese cobaltate (MnCo2O4@HNTs denoted as MCO@HNTs) can degrade ONZ completely over a wide pH range (6.08–11.00) with little influence of the pH value. MCO@HNTs + PMS exhibited higher catalytic activity and lower Co- and Mn-ion leaching rates. It also showed a strong anti-interference effect on natural lake water and anions. Additionally, PMS can be quickly activated and consumed in natural lakes to avoid secondary pollution. The roasting of MCO@HNTs showed good catalytic activity and stability after degrading ONZ. The combination of ion quenching and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) analysis illustrated that the MCO@HNTs + PMS system had a strong oxidation capacity, and the produced singlet oxygen (1O2) was the main ROS for ONZ degradation. The degradation pathway of ONZ via the MCO@HNTs + PMS system was proposed based on the types of intermediates determined via liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). This comprehensive study shows the preparation of a simple, environmentally friendly, and cheap PMS activation catalyst that has practical application value in the treatment of antibiotic wastewater and provides a focus on actual water testing with residual amount of PMS.

Peroxymonosulfate (PMS) driven by halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) modified with nanomanganese cobaltate (MnCo2O4) generates reactive oxygen species (ROS) that offer high degradation efficiency and mineralization rates for many typical antibiotic pollutants, such as ornidazole (ONZ). The experimental results show that halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) modified with nanomanganese cobaltate (MnCo2O4@HNTs denoted as MCO@HNTs) can degrade ONZ completely over a wide pH range (6.08–11.00) with little influence of the pH value. MCO@HNTs + PMS exhibited higher catalytic activity and lower Co- and Mn-ion leaching rates. It also showed a strong anti-interference effect on natural lake water and anions. Additionally, PMS can be quickly activated and consumed in natural lakes to avoid secondary pollution. The roasting of MCO@HNTs showed good catalytic activity and stability after degrading ONZ. The combination of ion quenching and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) analysis illustrated that the MCO@HNTs + PMS system had a strong oxidation capacity, and the produced singlet oxygen (1O2) was the main ROS for ONZ degradation. The degradation pathway of ONZ via the MCO@HNTs + PMS system was proposed based on the types of intermediates determined via liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). This comprehensive study shows the preparation of a simple, environmentally friendly, and cheap PMS activation catalyst that has practical application value in the treatment of antibiotic wastewater and provides a focus on actual water testing with residual amount of PMS.

Electrochemical techniques have shown advantages for the removal of low-concentration nitrate. Here, copper oxide nanosheets were grown on self-supporting nickel foam (NF) to prepare electrodes (CuO/NF), which realized the rapid and highly selective conversion of nitrate pollutants in sewage into nontoxic and harmless N2. The CuO/NF afforded 100% NO3– removal within 100 min and 99.53% selectivity for N2 at –50 mA without producing a lot of by-products (NO2–, NH4+, and N2H4). Furthermore, 81.8% of NO3– was removed under the given conditions after six experimental repetitions. These results suggest that the catalyst has excellent electrochemical stability. The performance of CuO/NF for the electrocatalytic removal of NO3– in simulated wastewater (which contained Cl– and SO42–) was almost unaffected. Because of the high efficiency, high stability, and low cost of CuO/NF, this catalyst is practical for the removal of nitrate for wastewater purification.

Electrochemical techniques have shown advantages for the removal of low-concentration nitrate. Here, copper oxide nanosheets were grown on self-supporting nickel foam (NF) to prepare electrodes (CuO/NF), which realized the rapid and highly selective conversion of nitrate pollutants in sewage into nontoxic and harmless N2. The CuO/NF afforded 100% NO3– removal within 100 min and 99.53% selectivity for N2 at –50 mA without producing a lot of by-products (NO2–, NH4+, and N2H4). Furthermore, 81.8% of NO3– was removed under the given conditions after six experimental repetitions. These results suggest that the catalyst has excellent electrochemical stability. The performance of CuO/NF for the electrocatalytic removal of NO3– in simulated wastewater (which contained Cl– and SO42–) was almost unaffected. Because of the high efficiency, high stability, and low cost of CuO/NF, this catalyst is practical for the removal of nitrate for wastewater purification.

The reduction of nitroaromatics is important in industrial wastewater treatment. However, the activity of an external catalyst is critical for the reaction. In this study, Au nanocrystals were anchored in situ on two-dimensional graphene oxide (GO), which had oxygen-rich groups on its surface. Oxygen-containing groups combined to form functional boron clusters through hydrogen bond interactions (BGO). The mild reducibility of a dodecahydrododecaborate anion cluster (closo-[B12H12]2−) made ultrafine Au nanocrystals uniformly disperse on GO (Au/BGO). 4-Nitrophenol and other nitro-aromatic hydrocarbons could be rapidly hydrogenated into aminoaromatic hydrocarbons by Au/BGO, and the hydrogenation efficiency was approximately 100%. It retained high catalytic activity after 16 catalytic cycles. Therefore, the proposed innovative preparation strategy and high catalytic activity indicate the advancement of closo-[B12H12]2− as a nucleation target for nanometals. This study provides a stable and efficient catalyst for the hydrogenation of nitroaromatics and an alternative approach for the preparation of supported nano-metals., Corrigendum: Yuwen Wang, Xue Zhao, Jianbing Chen, Shuxing Zhou, Xianxi Zhang, Xinzhong Wang, Thomas Wågberg, Guangzhi Hu,Corrigendum to 'Dodecahydrododecaborate anion cluster-reduced nano-Au-decorated graphene oxide for 100% hydrogenation of nitroaromatics', Colloid and Interface Science Communications, 2023, 100713, DOI: 10.1016/j.colcom.2023.100713

Centimeter-scale composite biochar-alginate gel beads (MoS2B/CaCO3/Alg) were designed for the adsorption of Pb(II) in water using MoS2 modified biochar as the filler, alginate as the matrix, and CaCO3 as the active additive component. The composite gel beads were characterized using scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and other techniques. MoS2B/CaCO3/Alg showed excellent adsorption capacity over a wide range of pH 4–7. The maximum adsorption capacities obtained using the Langmuir model were 769.2, 833.3, and 909.1 mg g−1 at 10, 25 and 40 °C, respectively. At a dosing rate of 0.4 g L−1, MoS2B/CaCO3/Alg was able to reduce the Pb(II) concentration to below 0.05 ppm in complex simulated lead battery wastewater. After 10 repeated cycles, MoS2B/CaCO3/Alg maintained a high removal rate of 98.4 %. This spherical adsorbent is simple to prepare and easy to recover, has an ultra-high adsorption capacity, and is mechanically stable and resistant to interference, thus it is expected to be suitable for application in industrial wastewater treatment.

The reduction of nitroaromatics to aminoaromatics is essential for fine chemical production and effective sewage treatment. However, the activity of an external catalyst is essential for the reaction. In this study, Pd nanocrystals were anchored in situ on two-dimensional graphene oxide (GO), which acted as a catalyst support with high specific surface area. The oxygen-containing groups on the surface of GO bonded to the functionally rich boron clusters through hydrogen bonding interactions. A mildly reducible closed-dodecahydrododecaboric acid anion cluster (closo‑[B12H12]2–) was employed as the target site. The mild reducibility of closo‑[B12H12]2– resulted in a wide dispersion of ultrafine Pd nanocrystals on GO. Under ambient conditions, Pd/BGO rapidly hydrogenated nitroaromatics, such as 4-nitrophenol, to aminoaromatics with approximately 100% efficiency. Moreover, Pd/BGO retained its high catalytic activity for the hydrogenation/reduction of 4-nitrophenol after five catalytic cycles. Therefore, Pd/BGO could be a promising and economically viable candidate for various practical applications. The proposed innovative preparation strategy and highly efficient catalytic activity suggested the effective performance of closo‑[B12H12]2– as nanometal nucleation target sites. In addition to providing an alternate route for preparing supported nanometals, this study presents a stable and efficient catalyst for the hydrogenation of nitroaromatics.

Metal‑nitrogen‑carbon materials (M-N-C) have attracted much attention due to their low cost, high abundance, and efficient catalytic performance. Nevertheless, Fe-N-C materials are considered the most promising oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts for replacing noble metals. Ce is chemically active and has many metal valence states, and empty orbitals that can participate in coordination. On this basis, Fe, Ce-codoped catalyst was constructed in this study. The synergistic effect of the dual metal centers was verified, and a Fe, Ce-codoped nitrogen-doped carbon (FeCeNC) with six equal branch angles was proposed. The half-wave potential for the ORR catalyzed by FeCeNC is 0.855 V. As a rechargeable Zn-air battery cathode catalyst, FeCeNC exhibits excellent electrochemical performances, with an open-circuit voltage of 1.427 V, a maximum power density of 169.2 mW cm−2 and a stable cycling time of 80 h, demonstrating an excellent cycle performance.

Centimeter-scale composite biochar-alginate gel beads (MoS2B/CaCO3/Alg) were designed for the adsorption of Pb(II) in water using MoS2 modified biochar as the filler, alginate as the matrix, and CaCO3 as the active additive component. The composite gel beads were characterized using scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and other techniques. MoS2B/CaCO3/Alg showed excellent adsorption capacity over a wide range of pH 4–7. The maximum adsorption capacities obtained using the Langmuir model were 769.2, 833.3, and 909.1 mg g−1 at 10, 25 and 40 °C, respectively. At a dosing rate of 0.4 g L−1, MoS2B/CaCO3/Alg was able to reduce the Pb(II) concentration to below 0.05 ppm in complex simulated lead battery wastewater. After 10 repeated cycles, MoS2B/CaCO3/Alg maintained a high removal rate of 98.4 %. This spherical adsorbent is simple to prepare and easy to recover, has an ultra-high adsorption capacity, and is mechanically stable and resistant to interference, thus it is expected to be suitable for application in industrial wastewater treatment.

The reduction of nitroaromatics is important in industrial wastewater treatment. However, the activity of an external catalyst is critical for the reaction. In this study, Au nanocrystals were anchored in situ on two-dimensional graphene oxide (GO), which had oxygen-rich groups on its surface. Oxygen-containing groups combined to form functional boron clusters through hydrogen bond interactions (BGO). The mild reducibility of a dodecahydrododecaborate anion cluster (closo-[B12H12]2−) made ultrafine Au nanocrystals uniformly disperse on GO (Au/BGO). 4-Nitrophenol and other nitro-aromatic hydrocarbons could be rapidly hydrogenated into aminoaromatic hydrocarbons by Au/BGO, and the hydrogenation efficiency was approximately 100%. It retained high catalytic activity after 16 catalytic cycles. Therefore, the proposed innovative preparation strategy and high catalytic activity indicate the advancement of closo-[B12H12]2− as a nucleation target for nanometals. This study provides a stable and efficient catalyst for the hydrogenation of nitroaromatics and an alternative approach for the preparation of supported nano-metals.

Metal‑nitrogen‑carbon materials (M-N-C) have attracted much attention due to their low cost, high abundance, and efficient catalytic performance. Nevertheless, Fe-N-C materials are considered the most promising oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts for replacing noble metals. Ce is chemically active and has many metal valence states, and empty orbitals that can participate in coordination. On this basis, Fe, Ce-codoped catalyst was constructed in this study. The synergistic effect of the dual metal centers was verified, and a Fe, Ce-codoped nitrogen-doped carbon (FeCeNC) with six equal branch angles was proposed. The half-wave potential for the ORR catalyzed by FeCeNC is 0.855 V. As a rechargeable Zn-air battery cathode catalyst, FeCeNC exhibits excellent electrochemical performances, with an open-circuit voltage of 1.427 V, a maximum power density of 169.2 mW cm−2 and a stable cycling time of 80 h, demonstrating an excellent cycle performance.

Doping-inducted heterojunction is an effective strategy to boost the semiconductor photocatalysis. In this work, an artificial chloroplast-like HPWx@Fe2O3-CNTs photocatalyst was developed by a continuous hydrothermal process and microwave irradiation. This catalyst showed an excellent performance in degradation of biotoxic tetracycline (under mild conditions, tetracycline can be degraded by 100% in 100 min), the apparent rate constant of degradation was 5.5 times higher than that of pure Fe2O3. This is attributed to the synergistic photocatalysis of the Keggin unit of phosphotungstic acid to Fe2O3, which makes the photogenerated electrons trapped in the W5d vacancy state of the Keggin unit, thus delaying the recombination of electron–hole pairs. Moreover, the low-cost HPWx@Fe2O3-CNTs photocatalyst displayed a strong magnetism, leading to a facile separation of the photocatalyst. A relatively stable efficiency of degradation can be maintained. In the light radiation of “Baoxiang river” (Yunnan, China) water sample, the total organic carbon content decreased to 10.58%, which revealed a strong ability of organic carbon mineralization. In addition, E. coli as bacteria indicator was selected to quantitatively monitor the comprehensive toxicity changes in wastewater upon this photocatalytic technology. Both experimental and theoretical investigations demonstrated that the unique nano-scale biomimetic structures with high active sites, improvement of visible-light response, and separation and transfer of electrons and holes in heterojunction were responsible for the superior catalytic results.

The reduction of nitroaromatics is important in industrial wastewater treatment. However, the activity of an external catalyst is critical for the reaction. In this study, Au nanocrystals were anchored in situ on two-dimensional graphene oxide (GO), which had oxygen-rich groups on its surface. Oxygen-containing groups combined to form functional boron clusters through hydrogen bond interactions (BGO). The mild reducibility of a dodecahydrododecaborate anion cluster (closo-[B12H12]2−) made ultrafine Au nanocrystals uniformly disperse on GO (Au/BGO). 4-Nitrophenol and other nitro-aromatic hydrocarbons could be rapidly hydrogenated into aminoaromatic hydrocarbons by Au/BGO, and the hydrogenation efficiency was approximately 100%. It retained high catalytic activity after 16 catalytic cycles. Therefore, the proposed innovative preparation strategy and high catalytic activity indicate the advancement of closo-[B12H12]2− as a nucleation target for nanometals. This study provides a stable and efficient catalyst for the hydrogenation of nitroaromatics and an alternative approach for the preparation of supported nano-metals., Corrigendum: Yuwen Wang, Xue Zhao, Jianbing Chen, Shuxing Zhou, Xianxi Zhang, Xinzhong Wang, Thomas Wågberg, Guangzhi Hu,Corrigendum to 'Dodecahydrododecaborate anion cluster-reduced nano-Au-decorated graphene oxide for 100% hydrogenation of nitroaromatics', Colloid and Interface Science Communications, 2023, 100713, DOI: 10.1016/j.colcom.2023.100713

Centimeter-scale composite biochar-alginate gel beads (MoS2B/CaCO3/Alg) were designed for the adsorption of Pb(II) in water using MoS2 modified biochar as the filler, alginate as the matrix, and CaCO3 as the active additive component. The composite gel beads were characterized using scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and other techniques. MoS2B/CaCO3/Alg showed excellent adsorption capacity over a wide range of pH 4–7. The maximum adsorption capacities obtained using the Langmuir model were 769.2, 833.3, and 909.1 mg g−1 at 10, 25 and 40 °C, respectively. At a dosing rate of 0.4 g L−1, MoS2B/CaCO3/Alg was able to reduce the Pb(II) concentration to below 0.05 ppm in complex simulated lead battery wastewater. After 10 repeated cycles, MoS2B/CaCO3/Alg maintained a high removal rate of 98.4 %. This spherical adsorbent is simple to prepare and easy to recover, has an ultra-high adsorption capacity, and is mechanically stable and resistant to interference, thus it is expected to be suitable for application in industrial wastewater treatment.

The reduction of nitroaromatics to aminoaromatics is essential for fine chemical production and effective sewage treatment. However, the activity of an external catalyst is essential for the reaction. In this study, Pd nanocrystals were anchored in situ on two-dimensional graphene oxide (GO), which acted as a catalyst support with high specific surface area. The oxygen-containing groups on the surface of GO bonded to the functionally rich boron clusters through hydrogen bonding interactions. A mildly reducible closed-dodecahydrododecaboric acid anion cluster (closo‑[B12H12]2–) was employed as the target site. The mild reducibility of closo‑[B12H12]2– resulted in a wide dispersion of ultrafine Pd nanocrystals on GO. Under ambient conditions, Pd/BGO rapidly hydrogenated nitroaromatics, such as 4-nitrophenol, to aminoaromatics with approximately 100% efficiency. Moreover, Pd/BGO retained its high catalytic activity for the hydrogenation/reduction of 4-nitrophenol after five catalytic cycles. Therefore, Pd/BGO could be a promising and economically viable candidate for various practical applications. The proposed innovative preparation strategy and highly efficient catalytic activity suggested the effective performance of closo‑[B12H12]2– as nanometal nucleation target sites. In addition to providing an alternate route for preparing supported nanometals, this study presents a stable and efficient catalyst for the hydrogenation of nitroaromatics.

Metal‑nitrogen‑carbon materials (M-N-C) have attracted much attention due to their low cost, high abundance, and efficient catalytic performance. Nevertheless, Fe-N-C materials are considered the most promising oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts for replacing noble metals. Ce is chemically active and has many metal valence states, and empty orbitals that can participate in coordination. On this basis, Fe, Ce-codoped catalyst was constructed in this study. The synergistic effect of the dual metal centers was verified, and a Fe, Ce-codoped nitrogen-doped carbon (FeCeNC) with six equal branch angles was proposed. The half-wave potential for the ORR catalyzed by FeCeNC is 0.855 V. As a rechargeable Zn-air battery cathode catalyst, FeCeNC exhibits excellent electrochemical performances, with an open-circuit voltage of 1.427 V, a maximum power density of 169.2 mW cm−2 and a stable cycling time of 80 h, demonstrating an excellent cycle performance.

Cost-effective and high-performance electrode materials for energy storage and conversion are essential for commercial applications. In this work, the influence of solvent on the morphologies of [CH3NH3][M(HCOO)3] precursors was studied to design and synthesize two-dimensional (2D) porous NiCo2S4 nanosheets with different structures. As an electrode material for supercapacitors, Microflower-NiCo2S4 exhibits excellent capacitance (1,141 F g−1 at 1 A g−1) and stability (88.2% of initial capacitance maintained after 5,000 cycles at 5 A g−1). Moreover, an asymmetric capacitor was constructed using Microflower-NiCo2S4 and porous carbon (PC) and demonstrated an energy density of 51.25 Wh kg−1 at a power density of 397.5 W kg−1. When two Microflower-NiCo2S4//PC asymmetric supercapacitors were assembled in series, the device supplied power for an alarm clock with dimensions of 6.1 × 6.1 cm2 for more than 32 min. Therefore, the preparation of metal sulfides and metal oxides with hollow structures using a [CH3NH3][M(HCOO)3]-template has potential applications in energy storage and conversion.

Cost-effective and high-performance electrode materials for energy storage and conversion are essential for commercial applications. In this work, the influence of solvent on the morphologies of [CH3NH3][M(HCOO)3] precursors was studied to design and synthesize two-dimensional (2D) porous NiCo2S4 nanosheets with different structures. As an electrode material for supercapacitors, Microflower-NiCo2S4 exhibits excellent capacitance (1,141 F g−1 at 1 A g−1) and stability (88.2% of initial capacitance maintained after 5,000 cycles at 5 A g−1). Moreover, an asymmetric capacitor was constructed using Microflower-NiCo2S4 and porous carbon (PC) and demonstrated an energy density of 51.25 Wh kg−1 at a power density of 397.5 W kg−1. When two Microflower-NiCo2S4//PC asymmetric supercapacitors were assembled in series, the device supplied power for an alarm clock with dimensions of 6.1 × 6.1 cm2 for more than 32 min. Therefore, the preparation of metal sulfides and metal oxides with hollow structures using a [CH3NH3][M(HCOO)3]-template has potential applications in energy storage and conversion.

Cost-effective and high-performance electrode materials for energy storage and conversion are essential for commercial applications. In this work, the influence of solvent on the morphologies of [CH3NH3][M(HCOO)3] precursors was studied to design and synthesize two-dimensional (2D) porous NiCo2S4 nanosheets with different structures. As an electrode material for supercapacitors, Microflower-NiCo2S4 exhibits excellent capacitance (1,141 F g−1 at 1 A g−1) and stability (88.2% of initial capacitance maintained after 5,000 cycles at 5 A g−1). Moreover, an asymmetric capacitor was constructed using Microflower-NiCo2S4 and porous carbon (PC) and demonstrated an energy density of 51.25 Wh kg−1 at a power density of 397.5 W kg−1. When two Microflower-NiCo2S4//PC asymmetric supercapacitors were assembled in series, the device supplied power for an alarm clock with dimensions of 6.1 × 6.1 cm2 for more than 32 min. Therefore, the preparation of metal sulfides and metal oxides with hollow structures using a [CH3NH3][M(HCOO)3]-template has potential applications in energy storage and conversion.

Fundamental understanding of fabricating promoted bi-functional electrocatalyst to achieve fast charge-transfer and smooth mass-transport in oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) through the rational management of catalyst composition and ingenious design of nanostructure is highly desired but still a formidable challenge. Herein, an advanced carved particle-in-box nanoreactor, composed of small Fe-Co-Ni tri-metallic alloy nanoparticles confined in porous nitrogen-doped carbon nanocage, was developed through a spatially-confined pyrolysis strategy. Tri-metal alloy could optimize the electronic structure of the catalyst, thus inducing the charge redistribution, and then regulating the adsorption and desorption energy barriers of intermediates in electrochemical reactions. Unique nano-hole design provided convenient and efficient channels for mass transfer during ORR and OER processes. Thanks to these attributes, the hybrid electrocatalyst delivered decent reversible oxygen catalytic activities, evidenced by a high half-wave potential of 0.850 V towards ORR and a low overpotential of 355 mV at 10 mA/cm2 for OER both in alkaline electrolyte. As a proof-of-concept, this as-developed carved particle-in-box nanoreactor enabled the assembled Zn-air battery to deliver a narrow potential gap of 0.735 V, a decent power density of 315 mW/cm2, a notable specific capacity of 754 mAh/gZn and excellent durability up to 165 h of continuous charge and discharge operations, thus implying the potential applications of this sophisticated catalyst model for promising energy conversion.

In the present work, a microwave-assisted and secondary roasting preparation process was used to synthesize nanocomposite materials. These materials were modified with amorphous cobalt nanoparticles (Co NPs) on the surface of biochar doped with different nitrogen sources (melamine (Me), 1,10-phenanthroline (Ph), and urea (Ur)). The nanocomposite (Co-N-C(Ur)) with urea as the nitrogen source promoted the generation of mesopores on the surface of carbon materials due to its evaporation during the preparation process thus enhancing the attachment sites of cobalt nanoparticles. The Co-N-C(Ur) had a more significant degradation effect on the primary carcinogen sulfamethazine (SMT) by activating peroxymonosulfate (PMS). The degradation rate of SMT pollutants was 96.6 % within 30 min. The optimal reaction conditions were as follows: catalyst dosage of 0.4 g L−1, PMS dosage of 0.812 mM, SMT concentration of 10 mg L−1, and pH of 5.67. Additionally, the Co-N-C(Ur) catalysts possess excellent specific surface area due to the evaporation effect of the calcination process of urea itself compared to other nitrogen source doping. Electrochemical tests revealed that the composites prepared with urea as the nitrogen source had higher PMS-induced current density and lowered material impedance values, which effectively promoted the catalytic performance of SMT degradation. Concurrently, the Co-N-C (Ur) + PMS reaction system exhibited excellent catalytic performance against other antibiotic organic pollutants. Subsequently, through the capture experiments and electron paramagnetic resonance technical analyses, it was determined that the singlet 1O2 played a leading role in the reaction system. Finally, a thorough liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis suggested the possible SMT degradation pathways, thereby providing a new strategy for the subsequent heterogeneous catalysts to degrade persistent organic pollutants.

An alginate gel bead composite adsorbent with polyethyleneimine (PEI) as a surface modifier and Eichhornia crassipes (EC) biochar, known as EC-alg/PEI-3, was added internally to the adsorb Cr(VI) from an aqueous environment. The functionalized gel beads were characterized using SEM, XPS, FTIR, and other techniques. The maximum adsorption capacities of EC-alg/PEI-3 were 714.3 mg g−1 at 10 °C and 769.2 mg g−1 at 25 °C. In the treatment of highly concentrated electroplating wastewater, EC-alg/PEI-3 can be dosed at 1.4 g L−1 to reduce the concentration of Cr(VI) to below 0.05 ppm. EC-alg/PEI-3 maintained a competitive adsorption capacity after six cycles. This spherical adsorbent material is easy to prepare, has a very high adsorption capacity, is environmentally friendly, and can be easily recycled. The EC-alg/PEI-3 gel beads are promising for the treatment of industrial wastewater., Errata: Yingnan He, Jianbing Chen, Jiapei Lv, Yimin Huang, Shuxing Zhou, Wenyan Li, Yongtao Li, Fengqin Chang, Hucai Zhang, Thomas Wågberg, Guangzhi Hu, Corrigendum to "Separable amino-functionalized biochar/alginate beads for efficient removal of Cr (VI) from original electroplating wastewater at room temperature". Journal of Cleaner Production, Volume 412, 2023, 137375. DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.137375

Fundamental understanding of fabricating promoted bi-functional electrocatalyst to achieve fast charge-transfer and smooth mass-transport in oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) through the rational management of catalyst composition and ingenious design of nanostructure is highly desired but still a formidable challenge. Herein, an advanced carved particle-in-box nanoreactor, composed of small Fe-Co-Ni tri-metallic alloy nanoparticles confined in porous nitrogen-doped carbon nanocage, was developed through a spatially-confined pyrolysis strategy. Tri-metal alloy could optimize the electronic structure of the catalyst, thus inducing the charge redistribution, and then regulating the adsorption and desorption energy barriers of intermediates in electrochemical reactions. Unique nano-hole design provided convenient and efficient channels for mass transfer during ORR and OER processes. Thanks to these attributes, the hybrid electrocatalyst delivered decent reversible oxygen catalytic activities, evidenced by a high half-wave potential of 0.850 V towards ORR and a low overpotential of 355 mV at 10 mA/cm2 for OER both in alkaline electrolyte. As a proof-of-concept, this as-developed carved particle-in-box nanoreactor enabled the assembled Zn-air battery to deliver a narrow potential gap of 0.735 V, a decent power density of 315 mW/cm2, a notable specific capacity of 754 mAh/gZn and excellent durability up to 165 h of continuous charge and discharge operations, thus implying the potential applications of this sophisticated catalyst model for promising energy conversion.

In the present work, a microwave-assisted and secondary roasting preparation process was used to synthesize nanocomposite materials. These materials were modified with amorphous cobalt nanoparticles (Co NPs) on the surface of biochar doped with different nitrogen sources (melamine (Me), 1,10-phenanthroline (Ph), and urea (Ur)). The nanocomposite (Co-N-C(Ur)) with urea as the nitrogen source promoted the generation of mesopores on the surface of carbon materials due to its evaporation during the preparation process thus enhancing the attachment sites of cobalt nanoparticles. The Co-N-C(Ur) had a more significant degradation effect on the primary carcinogen sulfamethazine (SMT) by activating peroxymonosulfate (PMS). The degradation rate of SMT pollutants was 96.6 % within 30 min. The optimal reaction conditions were as follows: catalyst dosage of 0.4 g L−1, PMS dosage of 0.812 mM, SMT concentration of 10 mg L−1, and pH of 5.67. Additionally, the Co-N-C(Ur) catalysts possess excellent specific surface area due to the evaporation effect of the calcination process of urea itself compared to other nitrogen source doping. Electrochemical tests revealed that the composites prepared with urea as the nitrogen source had higher PMS-induced current density and lowered material impedance values, which effectively promoted the catalytic performance of SMT degradation. Concurrently, the Co-N-C (Ur) + PMS reaction system exhibited excellent catalytic performance against other antibiotic organic pollutants. Subsequently, through the capture experiments and electron paramagnetic resonance technical analyses, it was determined that the singlet 1O2 played a leading role in the reaction system. Finally, a thorough liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis suggested the possible SMT degradation pathways, thereby providing a new strategy for the subsequent heterogeneous catalysts to degrade persistent organic pollutants.

An alginate gel bead composite adsorbent with polyethyleneimine (PEI) as a surface modifier and Eichhornia crassipes (EC) biochar, known as EC-alg/PEI-3, was added internally to the adsorb Cr(VI) from an aqueous environment. The functionalized gel beads were characterized using SEM, XPS, FTIR, and other techniques. The maximum adsorption capacities of EC-alg/PEI-3 were 714.3 mg g−1 at 10 °C and 769.2 mg g−1 at 25 °C. In the treatment of highly concentrated electroplating wastewater, EC-alg/PEI-3 can be dosed at 1.4 g L−1 to reduce the concentration of Cr(VI) to below 0.05 ppm. EC-alg/PEI-3 maintained a competitive adsorption capacity after six cycles. This spherical adsorbent material is easy to prepare, has a very high adsorption capacity, is environmentally friendly, and can be easily recycled. The EC-alg/PEI-3 gel beads are promising for the treatment of industrial wastewater., Errata: Yingnan He, Jianbing Chen, Jiapei Lv, Yimin Huang, Shuxing Zhou, Wenyan Li, Yongtao Li, Fengqin Chang, Hucai Zhang, Thomas Wågberg, Guangzhi Hu, Corrigendum to "Separable amino-functionalized biochar/alginate beads for efficient removal of Cr (VI) from original electroplating wastewater at room temperature". Journal of Cleaner Production, Volume 412, 2023, 137375. DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.137375

Fundamental understanding of fabricating promoted bi-functional electrocatalyst to achieve fast charge-transfer and smooth mass-transport in oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) through the rational management of catalyst composition and ingenious design of nanostructure is highly desired but still a formidable challenge. Herein, an advanced carved particle-in-box nanoreactor, composed of small Fe-Co-Ni tri-metallic alloy nanoparticles confined in porous nitrogen-doped carbon nanocage, was developed through a spatially-confined pyrolysis strategy. Tri-metal alloy could optimize the electronic structure of the catalyst, thus inducing the charge redistribution, and then regulating the adsorption and desorption energy barriers of intermediates in electrochemical reactions. Unique nano-hole design provided convenient and efficient channels for mass transfer during ORR and OER processes. Thanks to these attributes, the hybrid electrocatalyst delivered decent reversible oxygen catalytic activities, evidenced by a high half-wave potential of 0.850 V towards ORR and a low overpotential of 355 mV at 10 mA/cm2 for OER both in alkaline electrolyte. As a proof-of-concept, this as-developed carved particle-in-box nanoreactor enabled the assembled Zn-air battery to deliver a narrow potential gap of 0.735 V, a decent power density of 315 mW/cm2, a notable specific capacity of 754 mAh/gZn and excellent durability up to 165 h of continuous charge and discharge operations, thus implying the potential applications of this sophisticated catalyst model for promising energy conversion.

In the present work, a microwave-assisted and secondary roasting preparation process was used to synthesize nanocomposite materials. These materials were modified with amorphous cobalt nanoparticles (Co NPs) on the surface of biochar doped with different nitrogen sources (melamine (Me), 1,10-phenanthroline (Ph), and urea (Ur)). The nanocomposite (Co-N-C(Ur)) with urea as the nitrogen source promoted the generation of mesopores on the surface of carbon materials due to its evaporation during the preparation process thus enhancing the attachment sites of cobalt nanoparticles. The Co-N-C(Ur) had a more significant degradation effect on the primary carcinogen sulfamethazine (SMT) by activating peroxymonosulfate (PMS). The degradation rate of SMT pollutants was 96.6 % within 30 min. The optimal reaction conditions were as follows: catalyst dosage of 0.4 g L−1, PMS dosage of 0.812 mM, SMT concentration of 10 mg L−1, and pH of 5.67. Additionally, the Co-N-C(Ur) catalysts possess excellent specific surface area due to the evaporation effect of the calcination process of urea itself compared to other nitrogen source doping. Electrochemical tests revealed that the composites prepared with urea as the nitrogen source had higher PMS-induced current density and lowered material impedance values, which effectively promoted the catalytic performance of SMT degradation. Concurrently, the Co-N-C (Ur) + PMS reaction system exhibited excellent catalytic performance against other antibiotic organic pollutants. Subsequently, through the capture experiments and electron paramagnetic resonance technical analyses, it was determined that the singlet 1O2 played a leading role in the reaction system. Finally, a thorough liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis suggested the possible SMT degradation pathways, thereby providing a new strategy for the subsequent heterogeneous catalysts to degrade persistent organic pollutants.

An alginate gel bead composite adsorbent with polyethyleneimine (PEI) as a surface modifier and Eichhornia crassipes (EC) biochar, known as EC-alg/PEI-3, was added internally to the adsorb Cr(VI) from an aqueous environment. The functionalized gel beads were characterized using SEM, XPS, FTIR, and other techniques. The maximum adsorption capacities of EC-alg/PEI-3 were 714.3 mg g−1 at 10 °C and 769.2 mg g−1 at 25 °C. In the treatment of highly concentrated electroplating wastewater, EC-alg/PEI-3 can be dosed at 1.4 g L−1 to reduce the concentration of Cr(VI) to below 0.05 ppm. EC-alg/PEI-3 maintained a competitive adsorption capacity after six cycles. This spherical adsorbent material is easy to prepare, has a very high adsorption capacity, is environmentally friendly, and can be easily recycled. The EC-alg/PEI-3 gel beads are promising for the treatment of industrial wastewater., Errata: Yingnan He, Jianbing Chen, Jiapei Lv, Yimin Huang, Shuxing Zhou, Wenyan Li, Yongtao Li, Fengqin Chang, Hucai Zhang, Thomas Wågberg, Guangzhi Hu, Corrigendum to "Separable amino-functionalized biochar/alginate beads for efficient removal of Cr (VI) from original electroplating wastewater at room temperature". Journal of Cleaner Production, Volume 412, 2023, 137375. DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.137375

The reduction of nitroaromatics to aminoaromatics is essential for fine chemical production and effective sewage treatment. However, the activity of an external catalyst is essential for the reaction. In this study, Pd nanocrystals were anchored in situ on two-dimensional graphene oxide (GO), which acted as a catalyst support with high specific surface area. The oxygen-containing groups on the surface of GO bonded to the functionally rich boron clusters through hydrogen bonding interactions. A mildly reducible closed-dodecahydrododecaboric acid anion cluster (closo‑[B12H12]2–) was employed as the target site. The mild reducibility of closo‑[B12H12]2– resulted in a wide dispersion of ultrafine Pd nanocrystals on GO. Under ambient conditions, Pd/BGO rapidly hydrogenated nitroaromatics, such as 4-nitrophenol, to aminoaromatics with approximately 100% efficiency. Moreover, Pd/BGO retained its high catalytic activity for the hydrogenation/reduction of 4-nitrophenol after five catalytic cycles. Therefore, Pd/BGO could be a promising and economically viable candidate for various practical applications. The proposed innovative preparation strategy and highly efficient catalytic activity suggested the effective performance of closo‑[B12H12]2– as nanometal nucleation target sites. In addition to providing an alternate route for preparing supported nanometals, this study presents a stable and efficient catalyst for the hydrogenation of nitroaromatics.

Fundamental understanding of fabricating promoted bi-functional electrocatalyst to achieve fast charge-transfer and smooth mass-transport in oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) through the rational management of catalyst composition and ingenious design of nanostructure is highly desired but still a formidable challenge. Herein, an advanced carved particle-in-box nanoreactor, composed of small Fe-Co-Ni tri-metallic alloy nanoparticles confined in porous nitrogen-doped carbon nanocage, was developed through a spatially-confined pyrolysis strategy. Tri-metal alloy could optimize the electronic structure of the catalyst, thus inducing the charge redistribution, and then regulating the adsorption and desorption energy barriers of intermediates in electrochemical reactions. Unique nano-hole design provided convenient and efficient channels for mass transfer during ORR and OER processes. Thanks to these attributes, the hybrid electrocatalyst delivered decent reversible oxygen catalytic activities, evidenced by a high half-wave potential of 0.850 V towards ORR and a low overpotential of 355 mV at 10 mA/cm2 for OER both in alkaline electrolyte. As a proof-of-concept, this as-developed carved particle-in-box nanoreactor enabled the assembled Zn-air battery to deliver a narrow potential gap of 0.735 V, a decent power density of 315 mW/cm2, a notable specific capacity of 754 mAh/gZn and excellent durability up to 165 h of continuous charge and discharge operations, thus implying the potential applications of this sophisticated catalyst model for promising energy conversion.

Fundamental understanding of fabricating promoted bi-functional electrocatalyst to achieve fast charge-transfer and smooth mass-transport in oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) through the rational management of catalyst composition and ingenious design of nanostructure is highly desired but still a formidable challenge. Herein, an advanced carved particle-in-box nanoreactor, composed of small Fe-Co-Ni tri-metallic alloy nanoparticles confined in porous nitrogen-doped carbon nanocage, was developed through a spatially-confined pyrolysis strategy. Tri-metal alloy could optimize the electronic structure of the catalyst, thus inducing the charge redistribution, and then regulating the adsorption and desorption energy barriers of intermediates in electrochemical reactions. Unique nano-hole design provided convenient and efficient channels for mass transfer during ORR and OER processes. Thanks to these attributes, the hybrid electrocatalyst delivered decent reversible oxygen catalytic activities, evidenced by a high half-wave potential of 0.850 V towards ORR and a low overpotential of 355 mV at 10 mA/cm2 for OER both in alkaline electrolyte. As a proof-of-concept, this as-developed carved particle-in-box nanoreactor enabled the assembled Zn-air battery to deliver a narrow potential gap of 0.735 V, a decent power density of 315 mW/cm2, a notable specific capacity of 754 mAh/gZn and excellent durability up to 165 h of continuous charge and discharge operations, thus implying the potential applications of this sophisticated catalyst model for promising energy conversion.

In the present work, a microwave-assisted and secondary roasting preparation process was used to synthesize nanocomposite materials. These materials were modified with amorphous cobalt nanoparticles (Co NPs) on the surface of biochar doped with different nitrogen sources (melamine (Me), 1,10-phenanthroline (Ph), and urea (Ur)). The nanocomposite (Co-N-C(Ur)) with urea as the nitrogen source promoted the generation of mesopores on the surface of carbon materials due to its evaporation during the preparation process thus enhancing the attachment sites of cobalt nanoparticles. The Co-N-C(Ur) had a more significant degradation effect on the primary carcinogen sulfamethazine (SMT) by activating peroxymonosulfate (PMS). The degradation rate of SMT pollutants was 96.6 % within 30 min. The optimal reaction conditions were as follows: catalyst dosage of 0.4 g L−1, PMS dosage of 0.812 mM, SMT concentration of 10 mg L−1, and pH of 5.67. Additionally, the Co-N-C(Ur) catalysts possess excellent specific surface area due to the evaporation effect of the calcination process of urea itself compared to other nitrogen source doping. Electrochemical tests revealed that the composites prepared with urea as the nitrogen source had higher PMS-induced current density and lowered material impedance values, which effectively promoted the catalytic performance of SMT degradation. Concurrently, the Co-N-C (Ur) + PMS reaction system exhibited excellent catalytic performance against other antibiotic organic pollutants. Subsequently, through the capture experiments and electron paramagnetic resonance technical analyses, it was determined that the singlet 1O2 played a leading role in the reaction system. Finally, a thorough liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis suggested the possible SMT degradation pathways, thereby providing a new strategy for the subsequent heterogeneous catalysts to degrade persistent organic pollutants.

The reduction of nitroaromatics to aminoaromatics is essential for fine chemical production and effective sewage treatment. However, the activity of an external catalyst is essential for the reaction. In this study, Pd nanocrystals were anchored in situ on two-dimensional graphene oxide (GO), which acted as a catalyst support with high specific surface area. The oxygen-containing groups on the surface of GO bonded to the functionally rich boron clusters through hydrogen bonding interactions. A mildly reducible closed-dodecahydrododecaboric acid anion cluster (closo‑[B12H12]2–) was employed as the target site. The mild reducibility of closo‑[B12H12]2– resulted in a wide dispersion of ultrafine Pd nanocrystals on GO. Under ambient conditions, Pd/BGO rapidly hydrogenated nitroaromatics, such as 4-nitrophenol, to aminoaromatics with approximately 100% efficiency. Moreover, Pd/BGO retained its high catalytic activity for the hydrogenation/reduction of 4-nitrophenol after five catalytic cycles. Therefore, Pd/BGO could be a promising and economically viable candidate for various practical applications. The proposed innovative preparation strategy and highly efficient catalytic activity suggested the effective performance of closo‑[B12H12]2– as nanometal nucleation target sites. In addition to providing an alternate route for preparing supported nanometals, this study presents a stable and efficient catalyst for the hydrogenation of nitroaromatics.

Metal‑nitrogen‑carbon materials (M-N-C) have attracted much attention due to their low cost, high abundance, and efficient catalytic performance. Nevertheless, Fe-N-C materials are considered the most promising oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts for replacing noble metals. Ce is chemically active and has many metal valence states, and empty orbitals that can participate in coordination. On this basis, Fe, Ce-codoped catalyst was constructed in this study. The synergistic effect of the dual metal centers was verified, and a Fe, Ce-codoped nitrogen-doped carbon (FeCeNC) with six equal branch angles was proposed. The half-wave potential for the ORR catalyzed by FeCeNC is 0.855 V. As a rechargeable Zn-air battery cathode catalyst, FeCeNC exhibits excellent electrochemical performances, with an open-circuit voltage of 1.427 V, a maximum power density of 169.2 mW cm−2 and a stable cycling time of 80 h, demonstrating an excellent cycle performance.

The reduction of nitroaromatics to aminoaromatics is essential for fine chemical production and effective sewage treatment. However, the activity of an external catalyst is essential for the reaction. In this study, Pd nanocrystals were anchored in situ on two-dimensional graphene oxide (GO), which acted as a catalyst support with high specific surface area. The oxygen-containing groups on the surface of GO bonded to the functionally rich boron clusters through hydrogen bonding interactions. A mildly reducible closed-dodecahydrododecaboric acid anion cluster (closo‑[B12H12]2–) was employed as the target site. The mild reducibility of closo‑[B12H12]2– resulted in a wide dispersion of ultrafine Pd nanocrystals on GO. Under ambient conditions, Pd/BGO rapidly hydrogenated nitroaromatics, such as 4-nitrophenol, to aminoaromatics with approximately 100% efficiency. Moreover, Pd/BGO retained its high catalytic activity for the hydrogenation/reduction of 4-nitrophenol after five catalytic cycles. Therefore, Pd/BGO could be a promising and economically viable candidate for various practical applications. The proposed innovative preparation strategy and highly efficient catalytic activity suggested the effective performance of closo‑[B12H12]2– as nanometal nucleation target sites. In addition to providing an alternate route for preparing supported nanometals, this study presents a stable and efficient catalyst for the hydrogenation of nitroaromatics.

Metal‑nitrogen‑carbon materials (M-N-C) have attracted much attention due to their low cost, high abundance, and efficient catalytic performance. Nevertheless, Fe-N-C materials are considered the most promising oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) catalysts for replacing noble metals. Ce is chemically active and has many metal valence states, and empty orbitals that can participate in coordination. On this basis, Fe, Ce-codoped catalyst was constructed in this study. The synergistic effect of the dual metal centers was verified, and a Fe, Ce-codoped nitrogen-doped carbon (FeCeNC) with six equal branch angles was proposed. The half-wave potential for the ORR catalyzed by FeCeNC is 0.855 V. As a rechargeable Zn-air battery cathode catalyst, FeCeNC exhibits excellent electrochemical performances, with an open-circuit voltage of 1.427 V, a maximum power density of 169.2 mW cm−2 and a stable cycling time of 80 h, demonstrating an excellent cycle performance.

An alginate gel bead composite adsorbent with polyethyleneimine (PEI) as a surface modifier and Eichhornia crassipes (EC) biochar, known as EC-alg/PEI-3, was added internally to the adsorb Cr(VI) from an aqueous environment. The functionalized gel beads were characterized using SEM, XPS, FTIR, and other techniques. The maximum adsorption capacities of EC-alg/PEI-3 were 714.3 mg g−1 at 10 °C and 769.2 mg g−1 at 25 °C. In the treatment of highly concentrated electroplating wastewater, EC-alg/PEI-3 can be dosed at 1.4 g L−1 to reduce the concentration of Cr(VI) to below 0.05 ppm. EC-alg/PEI-3 maintained a competitive adsorption capacity after six cycles. This spherical adsorbent material is easy to prepare, has a very high adsorption capacity, is environmentally friendly, and can be easily recycled. The EC-alg/PEI-3 gel beads are promising for the treatment of industrial wastewater., Errata: Yingnan He, Jianbing Chen, Jiapei Lv, Yimin Huang, Shuxing Zhou, Wenyan Li, Yongtao Li, Fengqin Chang, Hucai Zhang, Thomas Wågberg, Guangzhi Hu, Corrigendum to "Separable amino-functionalized biochar/alginate beads for efficient removal of Cr (VI) from original electroplating wastewater at room temperature". Journal of Cleaner Production, Volume 412, 2023, 137375. DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.137375

Centimeter-scale composite biochar-alginate gel beads (MoS2B/CaCO3/Alg) were designed for the adsorption of Pb(II) in water using MoS2 modified biochar as the filler, alginate as the matrix, and CaCO3 as the active additive component. The composite gel beads were characterized using scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and other techniques. MoS2B/CaCO3/Alg showed excellent adsorption capacity over a wide range of pH 4–7. The maximum adsorption capacities obtained using the Langmuir model were 769.2, 833.3, and 909.1 mg g−1 at 10, 25 and 40 °C, respectively. At a dosing rate of 0.4 g L−1, MoS2B/CaCO3/Alg was able to reduce the Pb(II) concentration to below 0.05 ppm in complex simulated lead battery wastewater. After 10 repeated cycles, MoS2B/CaCO3/Alg maintained a high removal rate of 98.4 %. This spherical adsorbent is simple to prepare and easy to recover, has an ultra-high adsorption capacity, and is mechanically stable and resistant to interference, thus it is expected to be suitable for application in industrial wastewater treatment.

The reduction of nitroaromatics is important in industrial wastewater treatment. However, the activity of an external catalyst is critical for the reaction. In this study, Au nanocrystals were anchored in situ on two-dimensional graphene oxide (GO), which had oxygen-rich groups on its surface. Oxygen-containing groups combined to form functional boron clusters through hydrogen bond interactions (BGO). The mild reducibility of a dodecahydrododecaborate anion cluster (closo-[B12H12]2−) made ultrafine Au nanocrystals uniformly disperse on GO (Au/BGO). 4-Nitrophenol and other nitro-aromatic hydrocarbons could be rapidly hydrogenated into aminoaromatic hydrocarbons by Au/BGO, and the hydrogenation efficiency was approximately 100%. It retained high catalytic activity after 16 catalytic cycles. Therefore, the proposed innovative preparation strategy and high catalytic activity indicate the advancement of closo-[B12H12]2− as a nucleation target for nanometals. This study provides a stable and efficient catalyst for the hydrogenation of nitroaromatics and an alternative approach for the preparation of supported nano-metals., Corrigendum: Yuwen Wang, Xue Zhao, Jianbing Chen, Shuxing Zhou, Xianxi Zhang, Xinzhong Wang, Thomas Wågberg, Guangzhi Hu,Corrigendum to 'Dodecahydrododecaborate anion cluster-reduced nano-Au-decorated graphene oxide for 100% hydrogenation of nitroaromatics', Colloid and Interface Science Communications, 2023, 100713, DOI: 10.1016/j.colcom.2023.100713

In the present work, a microwave-assisted and secondary roasting preparation process was used to synthesize nanocomposite materials. These materials were modified with amorphous cobalt nanoparticles (Co NPs) on the surface of biochar doped with different nitrogen sources (melamine (Me), 1,10-phenanthroline (Ph), and urea (Ur)). The nanocomposite (Co-N-C(Ur)) with urea as the nitrogen source promoted the generation of mesopores on the surface of carbon materials due to its evaporation during the preparation process thus enhancing the attachment sites of cobalt nanoparticles. The Co-N-C(Ur) had a more significant degradation effect on the primary carcinogen sulfamethazine (SMT) by activating peroxymonosulfate (PMS). The degradation rate of SMT pollutants was 96.6 % within 30 min. The optimal reaction conditions were as follows: catalyst dosage of 0.4 g L−1, PMS dosage of 0.812 mM, SMT concentration of 10 mg L−1, and pH of 5.67. Additionally, the Co-N-C(Ur) catalysts possess excellent specific surface area due to the evaporation effect of the calcination process of urea itself compared to other nitrogen source doping. Electrochemical tests revealed that the composites prepared with urea as the nitrogen source had higher PMS-induced current density and lowered material impedance values, which effectively promoted the catalytic performance of SMT degradation. Concurrently, the Co-N-C (Ur) + PMS reaction system exhibited excellent catalytic performance against other antibiotic organic pollutants. Subsequently, through the capture experiments and electron paramagnetic resonance technical analyses, it was determined that the singlet 1O2 played a leading role in the reaction system. Finally, a thorough liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis suggested the possible SMT degradation pathways, thereby providing a new strategy for the subsequent heterogeneous catalysts to degrade persistent organic pollutants.

An alginate gel bead composite adsorbent with polyethyleneimine (PEI) as a surface modifier and Eichhornia crassipes (EC) biochar, known as EC-alg/PEI-3, was added internally to the adsorb Cr(VI) from an aqueous environment. The functionalized gel beads were characterized using SEM, XPS, FTIR, and other techniques. The maximum adsorption capacities of EC-alg/PEI-3 were 714.3 mg g−1 at 10 °C and 769.2 mg g−1 at 25 °C. In the treatment of highly concentrated electroplating wastewater, EC-alg/PEI-3 can be dosed at 1.4 g L−1 to reduce the concentration of Cr(VI) to below 0.05 ppm. EC-alg/PEI-3 maintained a competitive adsorption capacity after six cycles. This spherical adsorbent material is easy to prepare, has a very high adsorption capacity, is environmentally friendly, and can be easily recycled. The EC-alg/PEI-3 gel beads are promising for the treatment of industrial wastewater., Errata: Yingnan He, Jianbing Chen, Jiapei Lv, Yimin Huang, Shuxing Zhou, Wenyan Li, Yongtao Li, Fengqin Chang, Hucai Zhang, Thomas Wågberg, Guangzhi Hu, Corrigendum to "Separable amino-functionalized biochar/alginate beads for efficient removal of Cr (VI) from original electroplating wastewater at room temperature". Journal of Cleaner Production, Volume 412, 2023, 137375. DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.137375

Centimeter-scale composite biochar-alginate gel beads (MoS2B/CaCO3/Alg) were designed for the adsorption of Pb(II) in water using MoS2 modified biochar as the filler, alginate as the matrix, and CaCO3 as the active additive component. The composite gel beads were characterized using scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and other techniques. MoS2B/CaCO3/Alg showed excellent adsorption capacity over a wide range of pH 4–7. The maximum adsorption capacities obtained using the Langmuir model were 769.2, 833.3, and 909.1 mg g−1 at 10, 25 and 40 °C, respectively. At a dosing rate of 0.4 g L−1, MoS2B/CaCO3/Alg was able to reduce the Pb(II) concentration to below 0.05 ppm in complex simulated lead battery wastewater. After 10 repeated cycles, MoS2B/CaCO3/Alg maintained a high removal rate of 98.4 %. This spherical adsorbent is simple to prepare and easy to recover, has an ultra-high adsorption capacity, and is mechanically stable and resistant to interference, thus it is expected to be suitable for application in industrial wastewater treatment.

The reduction of nitroaromatics is important in industrial wastewater treatment. However, the activity of an external catalyst is critical for the reaction. In this study, Au nanocrystals were anchored in situ on two-dimensional graphene oxide (GO), which had oxygen-rich groups on its surface. Oxygen-containing groups combined to form functional boron clusters through hydrogen bond interactions (BGO). The mild reducibility of a dodecahydrododecaborate anion cluster (closo-[B12H12]2−) made ultrafine Au nanocrystals uniformly disperse on GO (Au/BGO). 4-Nitrophenol and other nitro-aromatic hydrocarbons could be rapidly hydrogenated into aminoaromatic hydrocarbons by Au/BGO, and the hydrogenation efficiency was approximately 100%. It retained high catalytic activity after 16 catalytic cycles. Therefore, the proposed innovative preparation strategy and high catalytic activity indicate the advancement of closo-[B12H12]2− as a nucleation target for nanometals. This study provides a stable and efficient catalyst for the hydrogenation of nitroaromatics and an alternative approach for the preparation of supported nano-metals., Corrigendum: Yuwen Wang, Xue Zhao, Jianbing Chen, Shuxing Zhou, Xianxi Zhang, Xinzhong Wang, Thomas Wågberg, Guangzhi Hu,Corrigendum to 'Dodecahydrododecaborate anion cluster-reduced nano-Au-decorated graphene oxide for 100% hydrogenation of nitroaromatics', Colloid and Interface Science Communications, 2023, 100713, DOI: 10.1016/j.colcom.2023.100713

Cost-effective and high-performance electrode materials for energy storage and conversion are essential for commercial applications. In this work, the influence of solvent on the morphologies of [CH3NH3][M(HCOO)3] precursors was studied to design and synthesize two-dimensional (2D) porous NiCo2S4 nanosheets with different structures. As an electrode material for supercapacitors, Microflower-NiCo2S4 exhibits excellent capacitance (1,141 F g−1 at 1 A g−1) and stability (88.2% of initial capacitance maintained after 5,000 cycles at 5 A g−1). Moreover, an asymmetric capacitor was constructed using Microflower-NiCo2S4 and porous carbon (PC) and demonstrated an energy density of 51.25 Wh kg−1 at a power density of 397.5 W kg−1. When two Microflower-NiCo2S4//PC asymmetric supercapacitors were assembled in series, the device supplied power for an alarm clock with dimensions of 6.1 × 6.1 cm2 for more than 32 min. Therefore, the preparation of metal sulfides and metal oxides with hollow structures using a [CH3NH3][M(HCOO)3]-template has potential applications in energy storage and conversion.